


May I?

by Kimanaio



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jaal Has No Boundaries, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-13 22:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10523337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimanaio/pseuds/Kimanaio
Summary: A fill for a writing prompt- "May I touch your hair?"Ryder x Jaal, pre-relationship fic.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I like to think that angara skin has something like chromatophores in it that reacts to their bioelectric field, making them change color slightly depending on the field intensity.

Jaal and Fiona were working on their sniper rifles together- ever since she'd used Jaal's gun in a pinch, she'd fallen in love with sniping. Her gun, a black widow modded to all hell, was swiftly becoming something of a pet project. She took pride in hauling the heavy weapon around, and while it didn't mesh with her fighting style ("Why carry around a sniper rifle, Fiona? You're a vangaurd, you _should_ have a shotgun," Cora had said), it was more than powerful enough to put a round through whatever they came up against. In fact, it was her go to weapon for dealing with Architects. The carnifex pistol packed punch, sure, but there was nothing like the black widow. Besides, she had a flaming sword for those close quarters engagements.

Fiona noticed a distinct lack of noise as she was calibrating her scope, glancing up to see Jaal staring at her, pupils wide. 

"What?" She asked, coming across slightly more defensive than she meant to. Jaal blinked once, his eyes narrowing again as he broke from his train of thought.

"Your hair is... interesting. The angara don't have it. What is the point?" He wasn't one to mince words, and Fiona raised an eyebrow. This was a common question among the Milky Way species, of course it would come up here.

"You know, in all of my travels, humans are the only space-faring species with hair. I'm not really sure why we still have it- it used to provide warmth, when it covered more of our bodies. Now it's just kind of there? I don't know. I like it though." She ran a hand through her brown waves and shrugged, a small smile on her face. Jaal turned his head to the side slightly and narrowed his eyes, observing her closely.

"May I touch it?" He asked, and Fiona blinked, surprised.

"My hair..? I mean, I guess," she replied, blushing as Jaal stepped closer. The soft, spicy scent that surrounded Jaal intensified with the shift, warming Fiona from the inside. It smelled amazing.

He was hesitant, his hand hovering next to her cheek; she took the opportunity to look at the details of his face. His eyes were blue, yes, but they had a violet tint to them, a burst of color around his pupils. There were speckles of color that wound through his skin, and they almost seemed to change. _‘Maybe because of the electric field they generate?’_ she thought, her mind constantly stuck on overdrive. That same field had started to affect her, her hair reacting as if his hand was charged with static. It clung to him as he took a wave between his fingers ever-so-gently, and his brow furrowed.

“It’s soft,” he breathed, running it between his fingertips. “Why does it stick to me like that?”

His touch had sent shivers across her scalp, and Fiona took a moment to regain her composure.

“Your bioelectric field, I think. Hair clings to static.” It was the best theory she had, and Jaal seemed to accept it.

“That… would make sense, yes. It’s much lighter than I thought it would be.” He took more into his hands, this time letting it fall through his fingers. “Other humans on board have different colors, different textures. Can you change that at will?” Jaal had started playing with it now, obviously unaware of the number of boundaries he was crossing. Fiona decided to roll with it, enjoying the feeling.

“We can use artificial dyes to change the color, and we sometimes use heat to style it in different ways. My hair tends to take this shape by itself though, and I don’t dye it.” She was thinking of the last color her hair had been- bright cyan. Not a good time in her life.

“Hm. It smells sweet,” he observed, and she raised her eyebrows.

“You can smell my shampoo?”

“Is that a scent you put in it? Angara use perfumes and lotions as a symbol of status, is it the same for humans?” He was intrigued, as was Fiona.

“No, not quite. We use different cleaning agents to keep our hair healthy. You know, soft and shiny. I use one with a honeysuckle scent. I actually need to buy more next time we’re on the Nexus.” She mentally told SAM to put it on her checklist.

“Honeysuckle?” Jaal had released her hair, but he hadn’t stepped back. Fiona didn’t really mind.

“It’s a species of plant. It has sweet nectar that you can drink from the flower.”

“That is fascinating. We have similar plants on Havarl, but there are also poisonous varieties that look very similar.” Jaal paused to contemplate something, scrutinizing Fiona before she had a chance to reply. “Humans are very soft.”

“I- yes, I suppose we are. All the other Milky Way species say that. ‘Squishy humans, made of water, can’t take a hit,” she snorted, but Jaal wasn’t making a jab.

“No, not ‘squishy,’ soft. Your hair, your skin. You are not rough or dry. The angara value that, it is why we use lotions so much. You are very soft, Fiona.” Jaal watched her carefully, eager to see her reaction.

“Oh,” she murmured, realizing he was paying her a compliment. She could feel the heat up to the tips of her ears- she had to have been bright red. “Well, thank you. I moisturize,” she joked, diffusing the tension; she swore she could cut it with a knife.

“Humans use lotions too?” Jaal’s eyes widened again, his visor flickering- obviously she’d piqued his interest.

“Yeah, some of us. I do after I shower, it’s very relaxing.” That was a blatant flirt, Fiona thought, kicking herself for being so obvious. Jaal took it well though, his fringe turning a deeper shade of blue. Was he… blushing?

“That is intriguing. You will have to show me what types you use, I will see if we have any that you would like. Floral scents, I assume?” He finally stepped back, if only slightly. Fiona immediately felt the air around her change as his bioelectric field moved away, and she missed the way it made her hair stand on end.

“How did you know?” She laughed, turning back to the workbench.

“The room smells sweeter when you walk in, scents I don’t know. I assume they are plants from your galaxy- they must be lovely, by the aroma.”

Jaal’s genuine response made her stomach flip, butterflies jumping from her stomach into her throat.

“W- well,” Fiona sputtered, focusing on her rifle, “I’ll show you some time.”

“I would like that,” Jaal rumbled, and they carried on with their work.


End file.
